Refreshing lemon juice, essential lemon salad dressings and lemon skin care products are all formulated on the basis of the amazing health benefits of this fruit. Rich in vitamin C, phosphorous, dietary fibers, ascorbic acid and other nutrients, lemons lack saturated fats and cholesterol and contain fewer number of calories than most other foods. Learn about the top health benefits of lemons that make them popular ingredients for food preparations and skin care products.

Help Maintain Healthy Body Weight

Regular consumption of lemons can help prevent weight gain. At the same time, the fruit has been proved to be a wonderful weight loss remedy. Having lemon juice mixed with honey and warm water can accelerate the process of burning the excessive body fats.

Add Value to Skin

A rejuvenated skin can be obtained with the help of lemons. Apart from regularly nourishing the skin with products containing lemon, you can drink lemon juice to delay the signs of aging. The fruit is also useful in treating various skin conditions like acne and eczema. Burns, scars, blackheads, and wrinkles are the undesirable skin marks that can be eliminated with the use of lemon.

Keep the Mind Fresh

Lemon is not only refreshing for the body, but it can also maintain the normal state of your mind. Apart from relieving the body from fatigue and tiredness, lemon juice can deal with conditions like anxiety and depression. Tension and nervousness are other common mental issues that can be addressed with consumption of lemon. It is also believed that lemon balms can increase one’s concentration and boost work efficiency.

Effective for Fever and Chills

Lemons are said be one of the best home remedies that can be quick in dealing with fevers and chills. You can add a few drops of lemon to hot water and have it once every two hours. Lemon tea is another recommended remedy for expelling the disturbing symptoms of fever. Cold, flu, and sore throats are other related health issues that can be alleviated with the help of lemon drops added to warm water or tea.

Relieve Upset Stomach

Lemons are great in dealing with indigestion that may be caused by the intake of contaminated foods. The digestive qualities of lemon are also helpful in treating the related disorders like gas and bloating. You can maintain good digestion with regular intake of lemon as it helps in increasing the production of required bile juices. Constipation and heartburn are among other conditions from which you can obtain relief with lemons.

Other Useful Benefits

Here is a list of other health benefits that you can enjoy by including lemon in your regular diet:

• Lemon water is capable of purifying the blood.
• Rich in potassium, lemons are also recommended for patients suffering from high blood pressures on regular basis.
• Lemons make gums healthy and prevent them from bleeding. Tooth pain can also be cured by massaging lemon juice on the affected areas. Not to forget, lemon is used in a number of mouth fresheners.

In addition, lemons can add great taste to food preparations. With all such wonderful qualities, you can’t afford to miss the presence of lemons in your food and drinks.

Lemons resemble berries to a great extent. Its dimensions are about 7.6 X 5 centimeters, or 3 X 2 inches. On the inside, it is divided into various segments. Its yellow rind provides us with spicy oil. Both lemon rind and juice are used to add flavor to several food products. Apart from the refreshing lemonade, you can also prepare salads, cookies, cakes, and many meat and fish dishes with the help of lemons. Not to forget, with its cleansing properties and refreshing scent, it has become an important part of our everyday life. However, have you ever wondered about the history of lemons?

I’m quite sure that not many of you know about it as well as most of the common lemon-related topics. But you need not remain oblivious of the origins of lemons anymore as this article will enlighten you about it all as you read further.

Though the origin of lemons is a mystery, most people believe that they originated in India, followed by China and northern Burma. The popularity of the antiseptic properties of lemon was common in southeastern and southern Asia even at that time. It was usually used as an effective antidote to counterattack the effect of several poisons. Later, lemons were introduced in Persia and the next few places where their worth was appreciated after Persia were Egypt and Iraq around 700 AD.

The first time lemons came to be recorded into literature was in the 10th century Arabic farming treatise. At this time, lemon trees have also been initiated to be used in the ancient Islamic gardens as a nice ornamental plant. Further, lemons were distributed extensively into the Mediterranean region and the Arab world from AD 1000 to AD 1150.

Lemons gained entry into Europe around the 1st century AD, though they were not cultivated extensively. The first European lemon cultivation took place in Genoa around the middle of the 15th century. Later, Americans savored the benefits of lemons in 1943 as lemon seeds were taken to Hispaniola by Christopher Columbus during his voyages.

Spanish conquest all over the world also played a crucial role in spreading the word about lemon seeds. Normally they were employed as medicine and ornaments. In the 1700s through the later part of 1800s, lemon plantations appeared in elevated numbers throughout California and Florida as lemons started to become an important item for flavoring in cooking.

That is how it all began and at present, lemons are grown all over the world. Italy is the world leader in the production of lemons. Lemon trees usually grow up to the height of seven meters (approximately 23 feet) and have long leaves. Most lemon tree varieties are thorny and produce fragrant white flowers all year long. As the flower blooms, it takes around seven months for fruit to ripen. Frost can damage these trees severely, so they should be protected from freezing temperatures whenever possible or grown in warmer climates that are not prone to experiencing frost.

This was the history of lemons that has finally brought you the beneficial lemon fruit.

Here are some simple natural remedies that can relieve some common household ailments. As a standard disclaimer, it should be noted that the information on this page or anywhere on this site is not guaranteed to treat, diagnose, or cure any medical condition. Always contact your doctor before making any serious medical decisions.

Heartburn: One teaspoon of lemon juice in half a glass of water will relieve heartburn.

Scurvy: One or two ounces of lemon juice diluted with water every two to four hours. In excessive menstruation the juice of three to four lemons a day will help check the bleeding.

Asthma: A tablespoon of lemon juice taken one hour before meals will help relieve asthma.

Liver Problems: Many liver complaints can be relieved by taking the juice of one lemon in a glass of hot water one hour before breakfast in the morning.

Sore Throat: Dilute lemon juice 50/50 with water and gargle frequently. If possible use full strength as it will provide better results.

Pink Eye: A drop of lemon juice in each eye will clear up pink eye. WARNING: putting lemon juice in the eyes will burn a little. This is natural and will not cause any damage to the eyes.

Lemons act as an antiseptic, an agent that will prevent infection or putrefaction. It is also anti-scorbutic, meaning it can help prevent scurvy. One of the best fruits in cleaning out impurities out of the system, they are also an excellent stimulant of the liver and solvent for poisons. Moreover, it can also liquefy bile and is sometimes used for malaria. Finally, lemon juice also has great benefits for those suffering from rickets and chronic rheumatism.

Pregnant mothers are also advised to drink the juice of lemons during pregnancy as it will help build strong bones. Lemons are good for healthy nerve cells and for the strengthening of the teeth and bones. It also ranks as one of the top ten fruits for the highest levels of phyto-chemicals, which are very useful in helping to fight cancer. They are neither vitamins nor minerals because they lack calories.

Lemon is very good for anemia (iron deficiency). Even though its iron content is low, it is excellent and speeding up the body’s absorption of iron. It is also an excellent fruit for those suffering from arthritis as it is highly effective in removing uric acid from the joints (buildup of uric acid is caused by meat and other animal products). It is also good for dealing with and dissolving kidney stones which are formed by uric acid salts.

The main health benefits of lemons include:

Antioxidants: these are chemicals that are very useful in fighting cancer.

Protecting the capillaries: strengthens the walls of the capillaries while improving the elasticity of arteries and reduce excess blood clotting.

Anti-carcinogens: D-limonene, an aromatic terpene found in the lemon, particularly the pee, has been proven to neutralize certain carcinogens.

Fighting Infections: One of the best fruits for infections happens to be lemons. It kills over 20 different bacteria and is one of the best fruits for common colds, flues or any other acute condition that affects the immune system.

The lemon belongs to the family Rutaceae. It is classified as Citris limon. The tree is an evergreen and reaches 3 to 6 meters in height. Lemons are cultivated throughout the world from California to the Middle East. Lemons were first brought from the Middle East during the Middle Ages.

The main types of lemons produced in the United States are the Eureka, Lisbon, Genoa, Sicily, Belair, and Villafranca varieties. Some lemons are produced in Arizona and Florida, but most of the commercial crop is grown in southern California, where production averages about 90 percent of the annual U.S. output.

The fruit is pale yellow, elliptically shaped, and has a small nipple like protuberance at the apex. The fruit is covered by a layer of protection known as a rind which is used in perfumes and lemon flavoring. The spongy white layer between the rind and pulp is the mesocarp, which is rich in Vitamin P and contains a substance known as citrin.

Lemon juice is used widely in various types of beverages such as lemonade, iced tea, and even sodas. It is also commonly used in food ingredients like salad dressings, mayonnaise, tartar sauce, and other types of fish flavorings. The pulp of the lemon is used commercially in the manufacturing of citric acid, and is now used in making concentrated lemon juice which is used medicinally for its high vitamin C content.